Arjun is synonymous with action-packed flicks. Marudhamalai is no exception as Arjun dons the khaki to restore order in a village.
Director Suraj, who rendered a hit in Thalainagaram, has ventured to do a racy entertainer with Arjun shouldering the entire burden. The movie is inspired by the real life happenings in Papapatti and Keeripatti villages in Tamilnadu, where elections could not be held for nearly two decades.
Keeping Arjun's action hero image, Suraj has skillfully woven the screenplay around his strength. In a nutshell, the movie is about a group of influential men, who halt the smooth conduct of polls in a village due to various reasons. Arjun, a tough cop, is entrusted with the task of conducting the same with ease.
Marudhamalai (Arjun), a police constable is posted to work in Nachiapuram village. Nachiapuram is ruled by an influential man Lal, who makes sure that elections are not conducted there for over a decade. Anyone who dares to file their nomination paper gets killed by him.
Iyengar (Raghuvaran), an election commissioner takes up the job of conducting elections in the village. He visits Nachiapuram and instills confidence among the people to turn up and elect their representative. He incurs the wrath of Lal.
On the Election Day, Lal and his men go on a rampage. It is where Marudhamalai, a cop in the local police station steps in. He vows to put an end to Lal's atrocities. How Marudhamalai accomplished his job forms the crux. Few sequences in the movie remind us of movies including Mudhalvan, Manikanda and Kireedam. The humour-filled first half involving Vadivelu and an action-packed latter part make the movie engrossing.
Arjun is at his best. Handsome and agile, he is a delight to watch on the screen. A tailor-made role for Arjun, who excels in comedy too in the company of Vadivelu. Nila has nothing much but to ooze glamour. The menacing looks of Lal and a decent portrayal by Raghuvaran deserve a special mention.
However it is Vadivelu, who walks away with all honours. As head constable, Vadivelu doesn't fail to tickle the funny bone. His spontaneous wits are a delight to watch. Vaithiya and Senthil Kumar have handled the cinematography and have caught the action sequences well.
On the flip side, the movie drags a bit in the second half and illogical action sequences towards the climax spoils the party.
